posted May 30th, 2014 - Last weekend's Arizona Challenge included the 20-year anniversary of Arizona Airspeed. This topic will soon find its own and separate special attention by the Sun Path Products NSL News.

The celebration included the official announcement that Mark Kirkby will retire from Airspeed's 4way lineup at the end of the 2014 season. Mark Kirkby is currently the only original Airspeed 4way member (Jack Jefferies, Dan BC, Kirk Verner, Mark Kirkby).

Mark Kirkby told the Sun Path Products NSL News that this doesn't mean at all that he will not be an active member of the skydiving community and Arizona Airspeed activities. He only steps back from active 4way training and competition with Airspeed's signature lineup.

Mark Kirkby has missed only three years in the two decades of Arizona Airspeed 4way competition. He trained and competed with Arizona Blade in 2004, Spark in 2005 and Fastrax in 2006. He actually defeated Airspeed's Odyssey lineup (Eliana Rodriguez, Craig Girard, Andy Delk, Brian Johnson) with Fastrax at the USPA Nationals 2006, together with Niklas Hemlin, before he joined Airspeed Odyssey in 2007 and then won Airspeed gold at the World Meet 2008 in Maubeuge, France.

His Fastrax team mate of 2006, Niklas Hemlin, eventually joined Airspeed at the end of the 2010 season and became Mark Kirkby's rear piece partner for two years. The front piece in 2011 - 2012 included Center Outside Thomas Hughes, who was Mark Kirkby's team mate with Arizona Blade in 2004.Thomas Hughes and Niklas Hemlin then had their time together with Fastrax in 2007, while Mark Kirkby was back with Arizona Airspeed. Fastrax became the biggest Airspeed challenger in 2007 and was dangerously close. All three of them (Mark Kirkby, Thomas Hughes, Niklas Hemlin) eventually came together with Josh Hall for the lineup that won the latest 4way gold medals for Airspeed at the Mondial Dubai 2012.

Only Mark Kirkby and Thomas Hughes continued after 2012 and came back with Thiago Gomes and Chris Farina to defend the gold medals this year in the Czech Republic. Niklas Hemlin and Josh Hall both had only two years with Airspeed and Mark Kirkby.

Mark Kirkby said that Niklas Hemlin will now come back at the end of this year and add at least the next two years to his Airspeed time. Mark Kirkby had told the Sun Path Products NSL News earlier this year in a live interview that he wanted to make sure that Airspeed is in a good position when he steps back.

This time has come now, as Niklas Hemlin can surely fill the slot as a 4way world champion of 2012. The new Airspeed lineup of 2015 will still have to scramble the slots somehow, as Niklas Hemlin was in the Center Inside position that Chris Farina is currently flying. Thiago Gomes was the Tail for SDC Rhythm XP before he went to the Point slot...